It has taken Cornerstone Youth Home three years to be able to unlock the doors of what will ultimately be a stable, safe restorative home environment for York City’s homeless and transient students. Some say the effort and outcome is a literal miracle. The volunteer team of 50+ people from Cornerstone Baptist Church and our local community have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to simply open the door. A community collaboration is at the heart of Cornerstone Youth Home’s daily effort. Our massive endeavor highlights the painful reality of when a family faces homelessness on their own, they are “lucky” to break their homelessness cycle in seven years. To hold their own set of keys to a safe, stable home is something 1,900 York City school students do not believe is possible. We know our community has the power to change that. You hold that key.

We invite you to join us in our 1 Campaign! One community…one neighborhood can change the world. Cornerstone Youth Home plans on changing York City two restorative practice homes at a time. One home for girls and one for boys starting with elementary ages students and developing pairs of homes dedicated next to middle school, high school and then a transitional home that will also serve York College students whose families continue to experience housing displacement. York City families have worked with us to develop the concept of a long term, dormitory style housing option for their students while the family is working to create their own best solution for employment and housing stability.

Students attend their York City school (instead of transferring in and out) and stay at CYH during the week with highly-trained supervising staff and are with their families for the weekend. Additional supports for both student and family are offered with family involvement and education specialists. We all come together Sunday night for dinner, fellowship and opportunities to reinforce a curriculum of life-skill development. Offering students the option to know where they will put their head at night does have an immediate, positive impact on their ability to learn and grow academically.

Each member of our CYH team has been touched by the challenges of student homelessness and transience. We have so many stories to share about the challenges and (at times) the tragedies this pernicious cycle fuels. However, it is the human ability to be resilient we choose to focus on. We are hardwired to bounce back, survive and thrive if nurtured by just 1 other person. To have our strengths pointed out to us and encouraged by 1 other human being creates a dynamic that may seem miraculous but is always possible – if we are intentional. To be able to work this out in a safe, stable home environment could be a game changer not just in the lives of the student but within the culture of students’ home schools.

That is the power of CYH’s 1 Campaign. By giving 1 Friday (starting with May 4th) a month… 1 Friday every other month… 1 Friday a year, you become part of CYH’s team coaching, cheering and empowering student residents and their families. If we don’t, we know 30-60% of today’s homeless students will end up becoming homeless adults. Please, consider being a great neighbor in our blossoming CYH community. It is an investment in today as well as our future.

$25/month ($300/ year -Sunday night family meals at CYH for 2 weeks)

$75/month ($900/ year – Extracurricular activities for 16 students for 1 month)

$180/month ($2,160/year– Program cost for 1 student for 1 month)

On May 4th donate through the Give Local York website for Cornerstone Youth Home. After that, please choose to donate at www.cyhyork.org

Cornerstone Youth Home Mission Statement: Increasing a student's capacity for life-long educational success by disrupting the cycle of homelessness and transience in a safe, stable, restorative practice home environment.